and opened a discourse on the verse: “O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted”, etc. (Mich. 6, 3). ‘God’, he said, ‘is merciful to his sons like a father to his son. A father beats his son and yet he does not leave his evil ways. He rebukes him, and still he does not listen to him. Says the father to himself: I will no longer treat my son as I have done hitherto. When I beat him, his head is hurt and his pain is my pain. When I rebuke him, his face becomes distorted. What, then, shall I do? I will go and plead with him, and speak gently to him so that he will not be vexed.
So God tries all ways with Israel. He begins to beat them, but they pay no attention; he rebukes them and they pay no attention. He then says: I see that my beating has hurt their head. Alas, because I also feel their pain, as it is written, “In all their trouble he had trouble” (Isa. 63, 9). If I rebuke them, their looks are distorted, as it is written, “Their visage is blacker than a coal, they are not known in the streets” (Lam. 4, 8). Now, therefore, I will plead with them gently, “My people, what have I done with thee and wherein have I wearied thee?” My son, my only one, beloved of my soul, see what I have done for thee. I have made thee ruler over all the inmates of my palace; I have made thee ruler over all the kings of the world; and if I have done aught different to thee, “testify against me.
פָּתַח וְאָמַר (מיכה ו׳:ה׳) עַמִּי זְכָר נָא מַה יָּעַץ בָּלָק מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב וְגוֹ'. עַמִּי, כַּמָה קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַבָּא רַחֲמָן עַל בְּנוֹי, אַף עַל גַּב דְּחָאבוּ גַּבֵּיהּ, כָּל מִלּוֹי בִּרְחִימוּ לְגַבַּיְיהוּ, כְּאַבָּא לְגַבֵּי בְּרֵיהּ. חָטֵי בְּרֵיהּ לְגַבֵּי אֲבוֹי, אַלְקֵי לֵיהּ, כָּל כַּךְ דְּאַלְקֵי לֵיהּ לָא תָּב מֵאָרְחֵיהּ, נָזִיף בֵּיהּ בְּמִלִּין וְלָא קַבִּיל. אָמַר אֲבוֹי, לָא בָּעֵינָא לְמֶעְבַּד לִבְרִי כְּמָה דְּעָבֵדְנָא עַד יוֹמָא. אִלּוּ אַלְקְיֵיהּ יְהֵא חָשִׁישׁ בְּרֵישֵׁיהּ, הָא כְּאִיבָּא דִּילֵיהּ גַּבָּאי, אֱהֵא נָזִיף בֵּיהּ, הָא דִּיּוּקְנֵיהּ מִשְׁתַּנְיָא, מַה אַעְבִּיד, אֶלָּא אֵיזִיל וְאֶתְחַנֵּן לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְאֵימָא לֵיהּ מִלִּין רְכִיכִין, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְעֲצֵב.
and opened a discourse on the verse: “O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted”, etc. (Mich. 6, 3). ‘God’, he said, ‘is merciful to his sons like a father to his son. A father beats his son and yet he does not leave his evil ways. He rebukes him, and still he does not listen to him. Says the father to himself: I will no longer treat my son as I have done hitherto. When I beat him, his head is hurt and his pain is my pain. When I rebuke him, his face becomes distorted. What, then, shall I do? I will go and plead with him, and speak gently to him so that he will not be vexed.
כֵּן בְּכָל זִינִין, אָזִיל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. שָׁארֵי עִמְּהוֹן אַלְקָאָה וְלָא קַבִּילוּ. נָזִיף בְּהוּ, וְלָא קַבִּילוּ. אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, חֲמֵינָא בִּבְרִי, דִּבְגִּין מַלְקִיּוּתָא דְּלָקֵינָא לוֹן, אִינּוּן חַשְׁשׁוּ בְּרֵישֵׁיהוֹן. וַוי, דְּהָא מִגּוֹ כְּאִיבָּא דִּלְהוֹן, חֲשִׁישְׁנָא אֲנָא. דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיה סג) בְּכָל צָרָתָם לוֹ צָר. נָזִיפְנָא בְּהוּ, אֶשְׁתַּנָּא דִּיּוּקְנָא דִּלְהוֹן, דִּכְתִּיב, (איכה ד׳:ח׳) חָשַׁךְ מִשְּׁחוֹר תָּאֳרָם לֹא נִכְּרוּ בַּחֻצוֹת. וַוי כַּד אִסְתְּכָּלִית בְּהוּ, וְלָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדָעוּ. הַשְׁתָּא, אֱהֵא מִתְחַנֶנָא לְגַבַּיְיהוּ גּוֹ תַּחֲנוּנִים. עַמִּי מֶה עָשִׂיתִי לָךְ וּמָה הֶלְאֵיתִיךָ. בְּרִי יְחִידָאָה דִּילִי, חֲבִיבָא דְּנַפְשָׁאי, חָמֵי מַה עֲבָדִית לָךְ, שָׁלִיטִית לָךְ עַל כָּל בְּנֵי הֵיכָלֵי, שָׁלִיטִית לָךְ עַל כָּל מַלְכִין דְּעָלְמָא, וְאִי עֲבָדִית לָךְ עוֹבָדִין אַחֲרָנִין, עֲנֵה בִּי, אַנְּתְּ הֲוִי סָהִיד בִּי.
So God tries all ways with Israel. He begins to beat them, but they pay no attention; he rebukes them and they pay no attention. He then says: I see that my beating has hurt their head. Alas, because I also feel their pain, as it is written, “In all their trouble he had trouble” (Isa. 63, 9). If I rebuke them, their looks are distorted, as it is written, “Their visage is blacker than a coal, they are not known in the streets” (Lam. 4, 8). Now, therefore, I will plead with them gently, “My people, what have I done with thee and wherein have I wearied thee?” My son, my only one, beloved of my soul, see what I have done for thee. I have made thee ruler over all the inmates of my palace; I have made thee ruler over all the kings of the world; and if I have done aught different to thee, “testify against me.
עַמִּי זְכָר נָּא מַה יָּעַץ בָּלָק מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב וּמֶה עָנָה אוֹתוֹ בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר. זְכָר נָא, הֲוִי דָּכִיר בְּמָטוּ מִינָךְ. מַה יָּעַץ הַשְׁתָּא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, מַה הֲוָה עֵיטָא דְּבָלָק עַל עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא (חסר כאן) וְאוֹרַיְיתָא לָא חֲשִׁיבַת לֵיהּ לְבָלָק כְּלוּם, כְּמָה דְּהֲוָה לְלָבָן, דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים כ״ו:ה׳) אֲרַמִּי אוֹבֵד אָבִי. (שייך פרשת שלח לך דף קס"א ע"ב מ' המתחיל דא עם דא)
My people, remember, I pray thee, what Balak king of Moab counselled”, etc.’1The last 35 lines of the Hebrew text are not found in our translation.